FOR 


6-INCH    5-INCH    3-INCH 
GUN      CAPTAINS 


—  ON 


Armed    Guard 


"Constant   }  'i^i'lu  nee  is  the 
of  Safety" 


UNIVERiHY    OF  CALIFORNIA 
kO&  ANQKkM 

JUL  2 1 1961 
V 


Foreword 

1.  This  pamphlet  is  issued  for  the  instruction  and  guid- 
ance of  Armed  Guard  Crews.     Nothing  in  these  instructions 
should  be  allowed  to  conflict  with  orders  or  instructions  you  may 
receive  from  proper  authority  when  reporting  for  duty  as  an 
Armed  Guard. 

2.  Blank  pages  are  provided  at  the  end  for  list  of  gun 
crews  and  for  notes.     Make  notes  of  all  happenings  that  might 
assist  future  crews  or  be  of  interest  to  the  service.  Do  not  show 
this  pamphlet  to  anyone  outside  the  Navy. 


Chapter  I 

Stations  and  Duties  of  6"  Gun  Crews 

POINTER:  At  pointers  sight.  Sees  buzzer  in  place,  takes 
off  sight  cap  and  provides  lense  paper.  Checks  up  with  trainer. 
Brings  cross-wires  on  target.  Coaches  trainer  on  if  necessary. 

TRAINER:  At  trainers  sight.  Removes  sight  cap.  Sees 
lense  paper  provided.  Check  up  with  pointer.  Keeps  vertical 
wire  on  target  or  in  position  to  which  pointer  may  coach  him. 

SIGHTSETTER:  At  sight.  Wears  phone.  Tests  out  sights 
and  sets  same.  Examines  sight  after  each  shot  and  resets  if  it 
has  jarred  out.  Provides  sight  lights  and  buzzer.  Tests  out 
voice  tube  and  buzzer.  Sings  out  "SET"  when  range  and  de- 
flection have  been  put  on  sight. 

GUN  CAPTAIN:  Where  he  can  best  supervise  the  work- 
ing of  the  crew.  Sees  everything  provided  and  crew  at  stations. 
Report  to  battery  officer  when  ready.  Supervise  work  of  loading. 
Sees  safety  precautions  carried  out.  Sees  powder  bag  loaded 
red  end  aft.  Notices  that  gun  returns  to  battery  after  each  shot. 
Watches  primer  to  see  that  it  explodes  when  pointer  closes  firing 
circuit.  Coaches  pointer  and  trainer  on  target  if  necessary.  In 
case  gun  captain  is  spotting  for  his  own  gun  takes  station  a  little 
behind  and  to  windward  of  gun  but  within  easy  hail  of  same. 

PLUGMAN:  At  operating  lever  of  plug.  Operates  plug. 
Provides  primers,  belts  and  sponge  for  wiping  off  mushroom 
head.  Inserts  new  primer  and  calls  out  "READY"  each  time 
gun  is  loaded  and  ready  for  firing. 

RAMMERMAN:  In  rear  of  breech;  provides  sponge  ram- 
mer. Rams  shell  home  when  same  is  placed  in  breech  by  first 
shellman  using  sponge  rammer  for  this  purpose.  Uses  spiral 
motion  in  withdrawing  rammer  to  sponge  out  powder  chamber. 
After  each  shot  dips  rammer  in  bucket  of  water. 

1st  SHELLMAN:  In  rear  and  left  of  breech.  Provides 
bucket  of  sand.  Receives  shell  from  2nd  shellman  and  places 
same  in  gun  as  soon  as  breech  is  opened  and  loading  tray  in 
place.  Steps  clear  of  powderman  as  soon  as  shell  has  left  his 
hands. 


1st  POWDERMAN:  In  rear  and  right  of  breech.  Provides 
drinking  water.  Receives  powder  from  2nd  powderman  and  as 
soon  as  rammer  is  withdrawn  places  same  in  gun  and  steps  clear. 

TRAYMAN:  At  left  of  breech.  Holds  loading  tray.  Fills 
gun  tub.  Places  tray  in  breech  as  soon  as  it  is  opened.  Re- 
moves tray  when  rammer  is  withdrawn. 

2nd  SHELLMAN:  At  shell  supply  in  rear  of  first  shell- 
man.  Provides  knife  for  cutting  slings  from  shell.  Keeps  first 
shellman  supplied  with  shell. 

2nd  POWDERMAN:  At  powder  supply  in  rear  of  first  pow- 
derman. Provides  spanner  wrench  for  removing  covers  from  pow- 
der tanks.  Keeps  first  powderman  supplied  with  powder.  Is 
careful  to  see  that  the  cover  is  not  off  more  than  one  tank  at  a 
time. 


Station  and  Duties  of  5"  Gun  Crews 

The  stations  and  duties  of  a  5"  gun  crew  are  the  same  as 
for  the  6". 


Stations  and  Duties  of  3"  Gun  Crews 

POINTER:   (Same  as  for  6"). 

TRAINER:   (Same  as  for  6"). 

SIGHTSETTER:      (Same  as  for  6"). 

GUN  CAPTAIN:  Where  he  can  best  supervise  the  work- 
ing of  the  crew.  Sees  everything  provided.  Crew  at  their 
stations  and  reports  to  battery  officer  when  ready.  Supervises 
work  of  loading.  Sees  safety  precautions  carried  out.  Notices 
that  gun  returns  to  battery  after  each  shot.  In  case  he  is 
spotting  for  his  gun  takes  station  a  little  behind  and  to  wind- 
ward but  within  easy  hail. 

PLUGMAN:  At  operating  lever  of  plug.  Operates  plug. 
Sings  out  "READY"  each  time  gun  is  loaded  and  ready  for 
firing. 

1st  LOADER:  In  rear  and  left  of  breech.  Receives 
fresh  cartridge  from  third  loader  and  places  same  in  gun  as 
soon  as  breech  is  opened  and  old  case  extracted.  Is  careful 
not  to  burr  screw  box  in  loading. 


2nd  LOADER:  In  rear  and  right  of  breech.  Provides 
pair  of  loaders  gloves.  Removes  empty  cartridge  case  from 
gun  as  soon  as  breech  is  opened  and  throws  same  to  one  side. 
Steps  clear  of  3rd  loader. 

3rd  LOADER:  At  ammunition  supply.  Provides  knife 
for  cutting  lashings  on  ammunition  boxes.  Keeps  first  loader 
supplied  with  fresh  ammunition. 

The  stations  for  the  members  of  the  guns  crews  are  given 
in  the  order  of  their  importance.  In  case  you  haye  not  enough 
men  in  your  crew  to  fill  all  stations  start  at  the  top  of  the  list 
and  fill  as  many  as  possible,  then  apply  to  the  Captain  of  the 
ship  for  men  to  fill  the  remaining  stations.  Do  not  forget  that 
these  green  men  will  require  all  the  training  possible  and  use 
every  opportunity  you  can  get  for  training  them. 


Chapter  II 

Preparing  the  Gun  for  Action 

As  soon  as  you  report  on  board  go  to  the  gun  assigned 
you  and  see  that  it  is  ready  for  firing.  Do  not  take  anyone 
else's  word  that  the  gun  is  all  right.  Unless  the  gun  is  ready 
you  will  not  be  able  to  use  it  when  called  on  and  might  far 
better  have  stayed  in  the  United  States. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  most  important  items  to  be 
seen  to.  Check  each  one  off  as  you  finish  it  otherwise  you 
may  miss  some. 

Clean  and  oil  slide.  » 

Mark  gun  so  you  can  tell  that  it  returns  to  battery  after 
each  shot. 

Inspect  knife  edges. 

Oil  trunnions. 

Test  training  gear  see  all  parts  well  set  up.  If  there  is 
much  lost  motion  report  it  at  once. 

Test  elevating  gear  and  see  all  parts  well  set  up.  If  there 
is  much  lost  motion  report  it  at  once. 

Clean  sights. 

Clean  range  dials  and  dry  same. 

Clean  deflection  dials  and  dry  same. 

Take  out  parallax  and  boresight,  then  see  sights  set  up 
for  a  full  due  (boresight  for  range  of  about  2,000). 

Adjust  cross  wire  illumination. 

Recharge  battery. 

Clean  and  set  up  on  friction  discs. 

Inspect  thoroughly  breech  mechanism,  screw  box  and  plug. 
See  all  parts  well  set  up,  inspect  for  and  remove  burrs. 

Adjust  gas  check  pad  and  split  rings. 

Clean  primer  vent  and  seat. 

Inspect  and  clean  firing  lock. 

Clean  all  contacts,  then  tape  and  secure  same. 

Test  out  all  breast  lamps  and  sight  lights. 

Test  out  all  battle  lanterns. 

Examine  and  clean  all  primers. 


Fire  primer  by  battery  and  precussion. 

Swab  out  gun. 

Set  up  on  all  bolts  and  nuts. 

See  all  split  pins  in  place  and  secure. 

Inspect  rammer  and  loading  tray  and  see  in  good 
condition. 

Provide  and  fill  gun  tub  (refill  every  morning). 

Fill  recoil  cylinders  (refill  every  morning). 

Paint  safety  circle  on  deck. 

Overhaul  and  test  salvo  latch. 

Remove  tompion. 

Test  out  voice  tubes,  buzzers  and  sight  lights. 

Provide  loose  canvas  for  sights  and  keep  them  covered 
when  not  in  use. 

See  that  the  following  are  provided  and  keep  them  near 
the  gun  at  all  times.  See  that  all  the  crew  know  their  location. 
Do  not  allow  anyone  to  remove  any  of  these  articles  from  their 
usual  place  except  for  use  on  the  gun. 

Lense  paper. 

Sponge. 

Sponge  rammer. 

First  aid  packet. 

Tools. 

Spare  parts. 

Primers. 

Cotton  for  crew. 

Binoculars. 

Police  whistle  for  use  of  gun  captain. 


Chapter  III 
Duty  and  Lookouts 

If  there  is  an  officer  in  charge  of  the  armed  guard  report 
to  him  immediately  and  receive  your  orders.  If  you  are  the 
senior  man  on  board  have  all  other  gun  captains  report  to  you 
and  put  the  following;  watches  on  the  instant  you  leave  the  dock 
and  keep  them  on  until  you  are  tied  up  on  the  other  side. 

Split  each  gun  crew  up  into  two  watches  and  have  them 
stand  watch  and  watch.  Have  the  hang-out  for  each  crew  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  their  gun  and  do  not  allow  any  of 
them  to  leave  it  without  their  gun  captain's  express  permission. 
Have  their  meals  served  there  and  also  insist  that  they  sleep 
there.  Give  standing  orders  that  never  more  than  two  of  the 
gun  crew  are  to  be  absent  from  their  stations  at  any  one  time. 

Do  not  allow  the  crew  to  touch  liquor  under  any  circum- 
stances. Allow  no  visitors  around  the  gun.  Keep  the  crew 
away  from  people  you  don't  know. 

Keep  the  shell  and  powder  covered  at  all  times  but  readily 
accessible.  Be  careful  it  does  not  get  wet.  Keep  the  gun 
covered  as  much  as  possible  but  be  careful  to  see  that  it  is 
never  covered  so  that  it  cannot  be  gotten  ready  for  action 
instantly.  Assign  a  place  for  all  spare  parts,  tools,  primers,  etc., 
see  that  the  entire  crew  knows  their  exact  location  and  that 
they  are  kept  there  at  all  times. 

Have  the  pointers  drill  at  least  twice  a  day  at  pointing  and 
training,  and  have  the  loading  crew  go  through  the  motions  of 
loading.  If  opportunity  offers  hold  target  practice  allowing  the 
pointers  four  or  five  shots. 

Find  out  what  life  boat  has  been  assigned  your  crew, 
see  that  they  know  where  it  is  and  that  the  boat  is  in  a 
serviceable  condition.  Keep  enough  life  preseivers  for  the 
entire  crew  at  the  gun. 

Insist  that  the  ship  be  darkened  at  night  and  kept  so. 
Send  a  man  to  inspect  the  ship  each  hour  from  sunset  to  sunrise. 
Allow  no  smoking  on  deck.  A  match  under  some  conditions 
can  be  seen  two  miles  and  the  glow  from  a  lighted  cigarette 


a  half  mile. 

Have  some  signal  for  general  quarters  that  cannot  be  mis- 
taken for  anything  else  and  see  that  every  member  on  the 
armed  guard  knows  what  the  signal  is.  Insist  on  promptness 
and  speed. 

Have  the  whole  crew  go  on  watch  one  hour  before  dawn 
begins  to  break  and  stay  on  until  one  hour  after  sunrise. 
Have  them  go  on  again  one  hour  before  sunset  and  remain 
until  one  hour  after  it  becomes  completely  dark  and  unless  the 
ship  makes  a  decided  change  of  course  AFTER  DARK,  keep 
all  the  crew  at  guns  for  two  hours.  Morning  and  evening 
twilights  are  the  most  dangerous  times  of  the  whole  day  so 
insist  on  having  all  hands  on  the  job  at  those  times. 

Have  the  men  in  the  watch  on  deck  but  not  on  lookout 
keep  awake  and  remain  at  the  guns.  During  the  night  have 
yourself  called  every  time  a  watch  is  relieved  and  make  sure 
that  the  men  coming  on  are  wide  awake  before  taking  over  the 
watch.  Never  allow  a  man  of  the  watch  on  deck  to  leave  the 
gun  for  any  purpose  whatever  without  being  relieved  by  a  man 
off  watch. 

Avoid  all  shipping,  as  a  strange  ship  may  be  a  German 
raider  or  a  captured  ship  screening  a  submarine  from  your  view. 

German  submarines  can  heave  to  submerged.  Therefore 
avoid  all  floating  objects  as  they  may  be  (1st)  floating  mines 
or  (2nd)  objects  attached  to  a  submarine  lying  submerged. 

Submarines  have  been  known  to  tow  dummy  periscopes 
and  also  mines.  If  two  periscopes  are'seen  fairly  close  together 
shoot  at  the  forward  one. 

A  submarine  exposes  her  periscope  for  about  a  foot  when 
taking  an  observation  and  leaves  it  up  for  about  fifteen  seconds. 
Three  observations  are  usually  taken  before  firing  a  torpedo. 
Sea  gulls  have  been  known  to  draw  attention  to  a  periscope  and 
also  submarines  have  been  known  to  mount  dummy  sea  gulls 
on  their  periscopes.  A  wreck  or  abondoned  boat  is  a  favorite 
object  for  them  to  hide  behind,  so  always  avoid  them  carefully. 
Also  the  enemy  has  been  known  to  place  mine  charges  in 
abandoned  boats. 

It  takes  a  submarine  about  20  seconds  to  submerge. 

All  members  of  the  armed  guard  should  be  instructed 
daily  in  the  necessity  of  reporting  everything  seen  whether  on 

7 


watch  or  not.  There  is  a  case  on  record  where  a  coal  passer 
coming  up  on  deck  for  a  blow  saw  a  submarine  that  had 
escaped  the  notice  of  the  lookouts  entirely. 

Remember  that  your  first  duty  is  to  keep  the  ship  from 
being  destroyed.  In  order  to  accomplish  your  duty  the  best 
precaution  is  an  efficient  lookout  at  all  times  and  thereafter, 
rapid  and  accurate  fire. 

Work  out  plans  of  action  for  the  various  cases  that  you 
think  may  arise,  such  as  different  conditions  of  wind  and  sea 
and  position  of  submarine  when  first  sighted,  and  go  over  them 
repeatedly.  Remember  that  when  a  submarine  is  sighted  you 
must  act  instantly.  A  few  seconds  delay  on  your  part  due  to 
indecision  will  probably  be  the  difference  between  the  ship's 
escaping  and  being  sunk. 

Lookouts 

No  hard  and  fast  rule  can  be  laid  down  for  the  number  of 
lookouts  except  that  you  can  never  have  too  many.  Split  the 
crews  up  into  two  watches  and  obtain  as  many  lookouts  as 
possible.  A  man  should  never  be  left  on  lookout  more  than 
one  hour,  and  the  stations  for  each  gun  crew  should  be  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  their  gun. 

Give  each  lookout  a  definte  arc  to  look  through  and  arrange 
a  system  of  relative  bearings  so  that  he  can  report  anything 
sighted  accurately  and  radidly.  Always  have  a  lookout  point 
with  his  arm  at  any  object  sighted.  Impress  on  the  lookouts 
the  seriousness  of  their  duty  and  the  necessity  for  reporting 
everything  they  see  instantly.  See  that  an  efficient  system  of 
communication  is  established  from  all  lookouts  to  the  Officer-of- 
the-Deck  and  that  the  Officer-of-the-Deck  is  promptly  informed 
of  all  reports. 

In  order  to  make  a  successful  attack  with  a  torpedo  a  sub- 
marine tries  to  get  at  least  one  point  forward  of  the  beam  of 
the  target.  From  dead  ahead  to  each  beam  is  therefore  the 
most  dangerous  sector  and  the  one  to  which  the  majority  of 
the  lookouts  should  be  assigned.  When  seen  against  the 
skyline  the  silhouette  of  a  submarine  is  most  distinctive. 
Lookouts  should  therefore  be  stationed  as  high  and  as  near  the 
water  line  as  possible,  the  former  to  discover  submarines  at  a 
distance  and  the  latter  those  near  by. 

8 


The  following  is  thought  to  be  the  least  number  of  look- 
outs that  should  be  on  at  one  time  day  and  night.  If  you  have 
extra  men  split  the  arcs  given  below  and  put  them  on  watch. 

One  lookout  from  ahead  to  45  degrees  starboard  bow. 

One  lookout  from  ahead  to  45  degrees  port  bow. 

One  lookout  from  45  degrees  starboard  bow  to  abeam. 

One  lookout  from  45  degrees  port  bow  to  abeam. 

One  lookout  from  abeam  to  astern  starboard  side. 

One  lookout  from  abeam  to  astern  port  side. 

One  lookout  in  crow's  nest  from  port  to  starboard  beam 
around  the  bow. 

Binoculars,  while  valuable,  are  not  absolutely  necessary 
for  an  efficient  lookout.  The  main  thing  is  to  keep  alert  every 
minute  of  the  time- 
Always  see  that  the  men  are  warmly  clothed  before  going 
on  watch.  Always  insist  on  this  as  the  weather  may  change 
before  the  man  comes  off  watch  again. 

You  may  expect  from  the  Captain  the  latest  data  regarding 
submarine  areas,  so  called. 


Chapter  IV 

Boresighting 

In  order  to  hit,  the  gun  must  be  accurately  boresighted. 
This  should  be  done  in  quiet  water  and  before  the  ship  leaves 
the  dock. 

The  following  should  be  used  as  a  guide  to  make  sure 
that  nothing  has  been  overlooked. 

Remove  telescopes  from  holders,  thoroughly  clean  holder 
and  bearing  surfaces  on  telescopes  and  replace  with  part 
stamped  "UP"  on  telescope  uppermost.  Set  up  on  holding 
down  bolts  on  holders  for  a  full  due. 

Open  the  plug  and  lash  it  back. 

Put  in  breech  diaphram.  Set  up  tight  if  there  are  adjus- 
ting screws,  otherwise  see  that  it  is  all  the  way  in. 

Wipe  off  the  telescopes  lenses  with  lense  paper. 

Put  the  telescope  in  the  breech  diaphram,  taking  care  that 
the  threads  are  not  crossed.  Do  not  force  it.  If  it  does  not 
start  easily  wipe  off  the  threads. 

Train  the  gun  on  the  object  to  be  used  in  boresighting 
focus  the  telescope  and  remove  parallax. 

Put  in  the  muzzle  disc,  making  sure  that  the  small  hole 
in  the  center  is  clear. 

Bring  the  cross  wires  in  the  boresight  telescope  to  the 
center  of  the  hole  in  the  muzzle  disc  by  moving  the  adjusting 
screws  on  telescope. 

Rotate  muzzle  disc  through  90  degrees  and  look  to  see 
that  the  cross  wires  are  still  in  the  center  of  hole  in  muzzle  disc. 
If  they  are,  remove  the  muzzle  disc.  If  not  adjust  again  and 
keep  up  the  above  procedure  until  cross  wires  remain  in  the 
center  of  hole  when  disc  is  rotated  through  90  degrees. 

Set  the  sights  at  zero  for  range  and  50  for  deflection. 

Station  men  at  the  boresight  telescope,  pointers  telescope 
and  trainers  telescope.  Have  the  man  at  the  boresight  tele- 
scope sing  out  "MARK"  when  his  horizontal  wire  is  on  the 
target.  Bring  the  pointers  horizontal  wire  on  by  moving  the 
RANGE  SCALE. 

10 


If  trainers  horizontal  wire  is  not  on  with  pointers  and  bore- 
sight  telescope  come  up  on  the  adjusting  screw  on  the  outboard 
end  of  the  trainer's  telescope  holder  and  move  the  trainer's 
sight  until  all  three  telescopes  are  on  together,  then  set  up  tight 
on  adjusting  screw. 

Set  the  range  dial  to  read  zero  by  coming  up  on  the  ad- 
justing screws  and  moving  either  the  dial  or  the  pointer  arm 
until  the  pointer  on  the  dial  points  to  zero. 

Check  up  to  make  sure  nothing  has  moved. 

Have  the  man  at  the  boresight  telescope  sing  out  "MARK" 
when  his  vertical  wire  is  on  the  target.  If  pointer's  vertical 
wire  is  not  on  with  the  boresight,  bring  the  pointer  on  by  mov- 
ing the  DEFLECTION  DRUM.  If  the  trainer's  vertical  wire 
is  not  on  with  the  pointer's  and  boresight,  come  up  on  the  clamp 
screw  on  the  under  side  of  the  trainer's  telescope  when  by  mov- 
ing the  small  thumb  screw  on  the  side  of  his  holder,  the  trainer's 
telescope  can  be  put  on  the  target  at  the  same  time  as  the 
pointers  and  boresight. 

Set  up  tight  on  clamp  screw. 

Take  sight  wrench  and  come  up  on  deflection  drum  an.d 
move  it  till  pointer  on  drum  marks  at  50. 

Set  up  tight  on  deflection  drum. 

Check  up  on  both  the  horizontal  and  vertical  wires,  having 
each  man  go  to  each  station  and  check. 

Go  over  all  holding  down  bolts  and  adjusting  screws  and 
make  sure  they  are  all  set  up  for  a  full  due. 

Run  the  sight  up  and  down  several  times  and  move  the 
deflection  drum  10  or  15  knots  each  side  of  50  several  times. 

Check  up  both  the  horizontal  and  vertical  wires  again  hav- 
ing each  man  go  to  each  station  and  check  as  before. 

If  all  cross  wires  are  not  on  after  this,  start  at  the  begin- 
ning and  go  ahead  all  over  again  as  you  have  forgotten  to  set 
up  on  some  screw. 

If  cross  wires  are  on: 

Put  in  muzzle  disc  and  see  if  boresight  telescope  cross 
wires  have  moved.  If  they  have  you  will  have  to  center  them 
again  and  re-boresight.  If  they  are  still  in  the  center  of  holes 
in  muzzle  disc  the  gun  is  correctly  boresighted. 

Remove  muzzle  disc  and  put  away  boresight  outfit. 

Guns  should  be  boresighted  at  about  2000  yards  range. 

11 


Both  wires  should  be  brought  on  the  same  object,  that  is, 
do  not  use  one  object  for  the  horizontal  wire  and  another  for 
the  vertical. 

After  the  guns  are  boresighted  be  very  careful  to  see  that 
no  one  fools  with  the  sights.  Never  allow  any  object  of  any 
kind  to  be  placed  on  them.  Never  allow  the  crew  to  lean 
against  or  hold  on  to  the  sights  for  any  purpose  whatever. 

You  will  have  to  be  very  careful  about  this  as  you  will  find 
it  is  one  of  the  sailorman's  favorite  amusements. 


12 


Chapter  V 

Gun  Telescopes 

Gun  telescopes  are  very  delicate  instruments  and  must  be 
handled  with  great  care  to  insure  that  they  are  at  all  times  in 
adjustment  and  ready  for  use.  You  cannot  be  too  careful  of 
them  or  watch  them  too  closely.  Always  remember  that  if 
your  telescopes  go  out  of  adjustment  the  gun  is  practically 
useless. 

Telescope  Adjustments 

All  telescopes  are  fitted  with  cross  wire  illumination  for 
night  firing.  To  adjust  the  illumination  remove  the  protecting 
cap  on  the  after  outboard  side  and  move  the  four  adjusting 
screws  the  cap  uncovers.  When  in  proper  adjustment  the 
cross  wires  should  stand  out  clearly. 

If  on  looking  through  the  telescope  objects  do  not  stand 
out  clearly  and  distinctly  the  telescope  has  parallax.  This  is 
removed  as  follows: 

Come  up  on  collar  nut  on  under  side  of  telescope  just 
abaft  the  holder.  Back  off  locking  ring  that  goes  around  tele- 
scope just  abaft  the  part  in  holder  and  move  the  after  end  of 
the  telescope  in  or  out  until  the  object  looked  at  appears  clear 
and  distinct.  Hold  telescope  carefully  in  place  and  run  lock- 
ing ring  up  as  far  as  it  will  go.  Set  up  on  collar  nut  as  hard 
as  you  can  using  your  fingers  on  wing  nut  wrench  only.  Never 
use  more  pressure  than  your  hand  on  wing  nut  wrench  as  if  you 
do  you  will  distort  telescope  tube  and  make  the  instrument 
useless. 

In  case  telescopes  are  fitted  with  checking  eye  pieces 
these  should  always  be  pulled  out  as  far  as  they  will  go  when 
actually  firing  the  gun  so  that  all  the  light  will  be  reflected  di- 
rectly back  to  the  man  at  the  sight.  To  pull  out  the  checking 
eye  piece  come  up  on  the  collar  nut  on  underside  of  the  check 
eye  piece  pull  out  the  eye  piece  as  far  as  it  will  come  and  set 
up  on  nut.  It  will  be  noticed  that  with  checking  eye  piece 

13 


pulled  out  it  is  impossible  to  see  through  it.  Pulling  out  the 
checking  eye  piece  does  not  throw  the  telescope  out  of  bore- 
sight  adjustment. 

Care  of  Telescopes 

All  parts  of  the  sights  must  be  kept  free  from  all  grit  and 
rust  and  a  light  coat  of  oil  must  be  kept  on  all  bright  steel 
parts. 

All  telescopes  are  stamped  "UP"  on  the  side  that  must 
go  uppermost  in  the  telescope  holder. 

In  case  telescopes  are  not  mounted  they  must  be  kept  in 
a  warm  dry  place.  Never  keep  a  telescope  in  a  damp  place. 

In  wiping  the  lense  always  use  lense  paper  and  never 
anything  else.  Never  use  alcohol  to  wipe  off  a  lense  as  the 
lenses  are  made  up  of  two  or  more  pieces  of  glass  cemented 
together  and  alcohol  will  soften  the  cement. 

Always  keep  the  front  caps  on  when  telescopes  are  not 
in  use. 

If  possible  get  a  piece  of  blotting  paper  and  place  inside 
of  cap.  This  will  absorb  any  moisture  that  would  otherwise 
collect  on  the  lense.  If  possible  make  light  wooden  plugs  and 
cover  same  with  blotting  paper  and  insert  in  after  ends  of  tele- 
scopes when  not  in  use.  Be  careful  to  see  that  inner  end  of 
plug  does  not  touch  lense. 

Never  allow  anyone  but  the  gun  crew  to  touch  the  sights 
under  any  circumstances  and  never  allow  any  of  the  gun  crew 
to  make  adjustments  except  by  your  express  permission  and  in 
your  presence.  It  is  far  better  to  make  all  the  adjustments 
yourself. 


14 


Chapter  VI 

Spotting 

The  object  of  these  rules  is  to  give  each  gun  captain  a 
uniform  method  of  controlling  the  fire  of  his  gun  together  with 
the  greatest  chance  of  hitting  the  target  in  the  least  possible 
number  of  shots.  Gun  captains  should  study  these  rules  until 
they  become  second  nature  and  must  use  them  at  all  times  no 
mattei  how  near  the  actual  range  is  known. 

As  soon  as  the  target  is  picked  up  give  the  bearing  to 
the  guns,  describing  it  as  accurately  as  possible,  estimate  the 
range  as  nearly  as  you  can  without  taking  more  than  a  few  sec- 
onds to  do  so  and  send  this  range  to  sightsetters. 

Always  before  you  give  the  order  "Commence  Firing" 
get  a  report  from  each  gun,  they  are  on  the  target  and  sights 
set.  As  soon  as  the  range  is  on  the  guns  and  the  guns  on  the 
target,  fire  one  shot. 

If  first  shot  is  over  drop  range  1000  yards  and  fire  again. 

If  second  shot  is  short  raise  range  500  yards  and  fire. 

If  third  shot  is  over  drop  range  250  yards  and  fire. 

If  fourth  shot  is  short  raise  range  125  yards  and  fire. 

If  fifth  shot  is  over  drop  range  75  yards  and  you  should 
score  a  hit  in  range. 

In  case  the  second  shot  lands  on  the  same  side  of  the  tar- 
get as  the  first,  drop  or  raise  the  range  as  the  case  may  be 
1000  yards  and  repeat  this  until  the  shot  lands  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  target.  In  case  any  two  of  the  subsequent  shots 
land  on  the  same  side  of  the  target,  raise  or  drop  the  range  by 
the  amount  last  given  and  in  the  same  direction.  The  object 
of  the  above  system  is  to  straddle  the  target  with  each  pair  of 
shots  when  halving  the  error  each  time  you  will  eventually 
score  a  hit. 

Deflection 

The  first  deflection  used  will  be  that  due  to  the  speed  of 
your  own  ship  only.  50  is  the  zero  point  for  deflection,  left 
deflection  is  below  50  and  right  deflection  above. 

15 


Keep  sights  set  for  the  speed  of  your  own  ship  at  all 
times.  Guns  firing  only  on  the  port  side  of  the  ship  will 
be  kept  set  with  left  deflection  and  those  firing  only  on  the 
starboard  side  with  right  deflection.  Guns  mounted  in  bow  or 
stern  that  can  be  fired  to  both  sides  will  be  kept  set  with  de- 
flection 50. 

If  first  shot  goes  to  the  right  move  deflection  left  by  20 
knots. 

If  second  shot  goes  to  the  left  move  deflection  right  10 
knots. 

If  third  shot  goes  to  the  right  move  deflection  left  5 
knots. 

If  fourth  shot  goes  to  the  left  move  deflection  right  2  1-2 
knots. 

On  fifth  shot  move  deflection  one  knot  left  to  hit. 

In  case  the  first  shot  fired  goes  left  reverse  the  above 
procedure,  that  is  move  deflection  20  knots  to  the  right. 

In  case  the  second  or  any  subsequent  shot  lands  on  the 
same  side  of  the  target  as  the  one  preceding,  move  the  de- 
flection in  the  same  direction  as  before  but  by  one  half  the 
amount  and  keep  this  up  until  shot  lands  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  target. 

Thumb  Rule  for  Deflection 

Target  bearing  from  zero  to  2  1-2  points  on  the  bow  or 
stern  deflection  is  1-3  speed  of  own  ship. 

Target  bearing  from  2  1-2  points  on  bow  or  stern  to  3 
points  forward  of  abaft  beam;  reflection  2-3  speed  of  own 
ship. 

Target  bearing  from  3  points  forward  to  3  points  abaft 
beam;  deflection  full  speed  of  own  ship. 

In  case  the  target  is  coming  directly  towards  you  bring 
your  shots  short  and  keep  the  range  until  the  target  is  seen  to 
run  through  the  splashes.  At  first  over  drop  range  500  yards 
and  repeat. 

In  case  the  target  is  going  directly  away  from  you  re- 
verse the  above. 

Never  spot  a  bad  shot.  It  is  very  easy  to  tell  whether 
or  not  a  shot  has  been  correctly  pointed.  In  case  of  bad  shots 
leave  sights  set  as  they  were  and  fire  again  as  soon  as  possible. 

16 


Never  try  to  rush  your  pointers.  You  will  not  only  get 
them  rattled  but  will  lose  valuable  time.  The  first  thing  to  do 
is  to  get  pointers  on  target  then  fire  slowly  and  carefully  until 
you  get  the  range  and  deflection,  and  then  speed  up  and  put 
the  shots  in  as  fast  the  guns  can  be  loaded  and  aimed. 

In  case  you  once  get  on  the  target  and  then  get  off  again 
slow  the  fire  drop  or  raise  the  range  500  yards  to  bring  the 
next  shot  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  target  from  the  last  and 
then  repeat  the  procedure  for  originally  finding  the  range 
raising  or  lowering  the  sights  by  one  half  the  previous  amount 
each  time.  The  same  applies  to  deflection  but  make  your 
first  change  5  knots  instead  of  20. 

Always  keep  a  record  of  the  ranges  and  deflections  sent 
to  the  guns.  Carry  a  pencil  and  a  pad  for  this  purpose;  no  other. 

If  the  target  is  a  long  way  off,  3000  yards  or  above,  try 
and  send  your  first  shot  over.  This  will  show  the  submarine 
she  is  within  your  range  and  may  scare  her  off.  Fire  slowly  and 
deliberately.  If  the  submarine  is  close  aboard  have  your  first 
shot  short  and  keep  as  many  short  as  possible.  At  short  range 
a  short  shot  may  throw  water  on  the  periscope  and  will  in  any 
case  confuse  the  enemy.  A  shot  going  over  does  no  good  except 
for  spotting  purposes.  Fire  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

Be  careful  about  your  deflection  especially  with  guns 
mounted  to  fire  on  either  side.  A  large  number  of  misses 
have  been  made  due  to  the  deflection  being  set  on  the  wrong 
side  of  50. 

When  firing  abeam  the  ship's  roll  can  can  be  used  to  in- 
crease the  range  by  firing  when  the  ship  is  at  the  extreme 
point  of  the  roll  away  from  the  target.  Likewise  when  firing 
ahead  or  astern  the  pitch  of  the  ship  can  be  used  in  the  same  way. 

If  the  gun  you  are  using  is  mounted  close  to  the  water  it 
may  be  that  the  pointers  cannot  see  the  target  while  it  is  per- 
fectly visible  to  you  in  a  higher  position.  In  this  case  have 
the  pointer  keep  his  horizontal  wire  on  the  horizon  and  the 
trainer  keep  the  gun  trained  in  azimuth  on  the  number  of  de- 
grees (relative  bearing)  that  you  give  him.  In  spotting  a  shot 
in  this  way  raise  or  lower  the  range  as  usual  but  instead  of 
sending  down  deflection  in  knots  order  the  trainer  to  put  the 
gun  on  a  certain  number  of  degrees  on  azimuth  circle  on  mount. 
The  first  change  should  be  10  degrees  right  or  left  depending 
on  whether  the  first  shot  was  to  the  left  or  right  of  the  target. 

17 


Chapter  VII 

Casualties 

The  following  are  only  some  of  the  casualties  that  may  occur. 
Every  gun  captain  should  keep  in  his  note  book  a  list  of  all 
casualties  that  occur  on  his  gun  with  the  remedies  taken  and 
also  a  list  of  the  casualties  happening  to  other  guns  that  he  may 
hear  about. 

Missfires 

Miss  fires  may  occur  from  a  variety  of  causes  some  of  which 
are  as  follows: 

Pointer  fails  to  press  firing  key. 

Broken  firing  connection. 

Firing  wire  cut  on  recoil  or  counterrecoil  of  gun. 

Plugman  fails  to  prime  gun. 

Fuzed  or  split  primer. 

Primer  vent  foul. 

Faulty  firing  connections  or  plug  not  fully  closed. 
Remedies — If  firing  electrically  hook  lanyard  and  fire  by  pre- 
cussion.     If  this  fails  reprime,  examine  primer,  make  sure  firing 
pin  is  intact.     Repeat  until  gun  fires.     During  following  load, 
inspect  vent  and  firing  connections. 

Hang  Fires 

Hang  fires  occur  principally  from  two  causes: 

Powder  charge  loaded  wrong  end  towards  breech. 

Powder  charge  too  far  in  gun. 

Remedies — Report  to  battery  officer  and  receive  orders. 
If  you  are  senior  man  on  board  proceed  as  follows:  Insert  new 
primer  and  fire  again.  Repeat  this  procedure  until  gun  fires. 

On  extracting  primers  from  a  hang  fire  examine  carefully 
to  make  sure  they  have  fired. 
Broken  powder  bag. 
Remedy — Throw  overboard.     Use  new  charge.     Get  all  slivers 

18 


of  powder  thai  may  be  on  deck  away  from  gun. 

Plug  will  not  close. 

Remedy — Inspect  screw  box  and  remove  any  slivers  of  powder 

or  other  foreign  articles  that  may  be  in  there. 

Back  out  hinge  pin,  clean  off  and  oil. 

Plug  will  not  open. 

Remedy — Extract  old  primer,  if  on  a  6"  or  5"  gun.     Examine 

salvo  latch  and  make  sure  that  it  has  tripped. 

Gun  fails  to  return  to  battery. 

Remedy — Elevate  and  depress  gun  through  full  arc  a  number 

of  times.     Hit  breech  above  plug  with  end  of  rammer  or  piece 

of  wood. 

Cross  wires  of  telescobe  jar  out. 

Remedy — Have  pointer  coach  trainer  on. 

Sight  lights  fail. 

Remedy — Use  flash  light. 

Range  dial  pointer  jars  loose. 

Remedy — Use  range  scale  on  sword. 

Deflection  drum  jars  loose. 

Remedy — Set  up  on  drum  and  have  spotter  bring  gun  on  target 

again. 

Shell  will  not  seat. 

Remedy — Gun  using  fixed  ammunition  place  cartridge  to  one 

side,  inspect  gas  check  slope  and  remove  burrs.     Try  another 

cartridge. 

Gun  returns  to  battery  slowly. 

Remedy — Oil  slide,  inspect  for  burrs. 

Gun  will  not  train. 

Remedy — Wipe  off  training  rack  with  dry  rag  and  set  up- on 

friction  discs. 

Gun  will  not  elevate  or  depress. 

Remedy—Set  up  on  friction  discs.     Inspect  to  see  that  all  gear 

is  properly  connected  up. 


19 


Chapter  VIII 
Safety  Orders 

1.  No  naked  light  shall  ever  be  taken  into    a   magazine 
or  other  compartment  containing  explosives  of  any  kind. 

2.  Attention  is  invited  to  the  possibility  of  firing   screw 
breech  mechanism  guns  by  percussion  with   the    plug   swung 
home  but  not  rotated  or  locked.     If  the  guns  are  fired  electri- 
cally and  have  contacts  fitted  so  that  the    plug    must  be   fully 
rotated  before  the  circuit  is  completed,  it  is  not  possible  for  an 
accident  of  this  sort  to  happen. 

3.  When  a  gun  has  been  loaded,  the  breech  mechanism 
shall  be  closed  without  delay. 

4.  When  a  gun  which  has  been  fired  is  still  warm   when 
reloaded,  and  it  later  becomes  necessary  to  remove  the  charge, 
the  gun  need  not  be  fired  but  should  be  unloaded.     When   it 
is  apparent  that  the  service  of  the   gun  will  not  be  resumed 
within  a  reasonable  time,  the  powder  unloaded  will  be  dumped 
in  distilled  water  and  kept  in  that  condition  until  turned  into  a 
naval  magazine  at  the  first  opportunity. 

5.  In  preparing  a  battery  for  firing,   the  battery  officer 
shall  assure  himself  that  the  tompion  is  removed  from  each  gun 
and  that  the  bores  are  clear. 

6.  Never  unlock  or  open  the  breech  of    a  gun  when  a 
live  primer  is  in  the  lock. 

7.  Never  hook  the  lanyard  to  the  trigger  of    the  lock 
until  the  breech  plug  is  closed  and  locked  and  the  gun  primed. 
The  lanyard  shall  be  hooked  just  before  cocking  the  lock. 

8.  Never  unlock  or  open  the  breech  plug  with  the  lock 
cocked,  or  with  the  lanyard  hooked  to  the  trigger. 

9.  At  the  command  "cease  firing"  the  primer  shall  be 
withdrawn  from  the  locks  of  B-  L,  guns  and  the  case  removed 
from  R.  F.  guns.     If  a  crew  leave  a  gun  at  any  time,  the  gun 
will  be  left  in  the  condition  of  "cease  firing." 

10.  The  possible  danger  of  a  serious   accident  due  to 
opening  the  breech  too  soon  after  a  hang  fire  requires  the  con- 

20 


slant  exercise  of  the  utmost  prudence  and  caution  whenever  a 
miss  fire  occurs. 

1 1.  Whenever  a  gun  pointer  presses  the  firing  key  or  pulls 
the  lock  lanyard  and  the  gun  fails  to  fire,  a  hang  fire  must  be 
regarded  as  probable  and  until  examination  of    the  extracted 
primer  discloses  the  fact  that  the  primer  itself  failed  to  fire,  no 
distinction  can  be  made  between  the  case  of  a  miss  fire,  due 
to  failure  of  the  primer  to  ignite  and  a  miss  fire,  due  to  failure 
of  the  charge  to  ignite  after  the  primer  has  functioned  properly. 

12.  As  there  is  present,  after  firing,  in  the  chamber  of 
all  guns  an  inflamable  gas,  which,  under   certain  conditions 
constitute  a  danger  hi  igniting  the  exposed  charge  while  the 
gun  is  being  loaded  for  the  next  round,   the  sponging  of   all 
broadside  B.  L.  guns  using  charges  that  are  unprotected  by 
metal  cases  is  deemed  to  be  necessary.     In   case  of    guns  of 
this  class  the  combined  sponge  and  rammer  will  be  used,  with 
the  bristle  dampened  with  water.     The  sponge  will  be  entered 
in  the  chamber  immediately  following  the  shell,  and  will  be 
shoved  home  as  far  as  the  shell  when  seated  will  permit,  and 
then  will  be  withdrawn.     When  the   gun  is   sponged  in  this 
manner,  it  is  not  possible  for  inflamable  gases  or  bits  of  burning 
powder  bags  to  remain  in  the  powder  chamber  to  endanger  the 
ignition  of  the  charge. 

13.  When  firing  any  powder-bag  gun,  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  a  member  of  the  crew  to  look  through  the  bore  of  the 
gun  immediately  after  the  opening  of  the  breech  and  note  when 
the  bore  is  clear,   announcing  the   condition  by  calling  out 
sharply  and  distinctly  "bore  clear."     In  order  to  guard  against 
the  danger  of  flarebacks,  the  charge  shall  not  be  exposed  at 
the  breech  of  the  gun  until  after  the  announcement  "bore  clear," 

14.  The  sponging  of  guns  using  fixed  ammunition,  where 
the  charge  is  protected  by  a  metal  case,  is  not  deemed  necessary, 
but  before  stowing  the  empty  cartridge  cases  below,  steps  must 
be  taken  to  free  them  from  all  inflamable  gases.     This  can  best 
be  done  by  laying  the  cases  on   their  sides  and  testing  each 
one  for  the  presence  of  gases  by  inserting  a  lighted  taper  in 
each  case  as  far  as  the  bottom,  thus  setting  fire  to  any  inflam- 
able gases  or  by  washing  the  cases  out  with  soap  and  water. 

15.  Under   no  circumstances  shall  the  material  of  the 
cartridge  bags  or  strengthening  tapes  be    added    to   without 

21 


authority.  Should  it  be  necessary  to  stiffen  the  charges, 
additional  cloth  or  tape  will  not  be  used,  but  if  necessary,  the 
old  cloth  or  tapes  will  be  retied  or  replaced  by  new  material 
similar  to  the  old  cloth  or  tape. 

16.  There  shall  not  be  exposed  (removed  from  the  gun 
tanks)  at  one  time  more  than  one  charge  for  each  gun  and  then 
only  as  necessary  to  supply  the  demand. 

17.  Especial    care    shall   be    exercised  to  see  that    all 
sections  of  powder  charges  are  entered  in  the  chamber  with  the 
ignition  (RED)  ends  toward  the  breech. 


22 


Chapter  IX 

Smoke  Boxes  and  Depth  Charges 

Smoke  producing  apparatus  is  supplied  to  assist  ships  in 
escaping  from  hostile  vessels  by  making  a  smoke  screen  to  ren- 
der invisible  the  ship  itself  and  its  movements.  Behind  such  a 
screen  the  ship  may  maneuver  to  avoid  gun  fire  and  to  affect 
its  escape. 

Two  types  of  apparatus  are  supplied: 

(a)  The  fixed  type,  or  smoke  funnel,  for  burning 
on  board  ship. 

(b)  The  floating  type,  or  smoke  box  for  throwing 
overboard,  or  if  desired,   for  burning  on  board  the  ship. 
The  object  of  the  smoke  boxes  is  to  spread  and  keep  a 

screen  between  your  ship  and  the  enemy.  The  maneuver 
necessary  to  accomplish  this  will  depend  largely  upon  the  rela- 
tive positions  of  your  ship  and  the  enemy  with  reference  to  the 
wind. 

Always  endeavor  to  enlarge  the  screen  by  dropping  a  new 
series  of  boxes  near  the  edge  of  the  original  cloud.  Use  two, 
three  or  four  boxes  to  a  series.  It  must  be  realized  that  the 
smoke  screen  will  not  generate  at  the  instant  the  apparatus  is 
put  in  use,  therefore  the  first  alterations  of  course  should  be 
small  so  as  to  be  sure  and  maintain  the  source  of  smoke  between 
yourself  and  the  enemy  until  such  time  as  a  screen  of  sufficient 
height  is  formed  to  allow  of  greater  freedom  of  movement. 

Watch  the  smoke  cloud  carefully  and  note  that  it  is  high 
enough  to  hide  your  masts.  If  it  is  not,  trice  some  smoke 
boxes  up  the  masts  and  set  them  off. 

In  all  cases,  although  increasing  to  the  utmost  possible 
speed,  the  greatest  care  must  be  taken  to  make  as  little  boiler 
smoke  as  possible,  as  it  is  found  that  the  smoke  from  the  ship's 
stacks  is  liable  to  show  up  the  position  of  the  ship  in  the  smoke 
screen,  as  the  smoke  screen  is  either  white,  gray  or  yellow. 

It  is  very  unlikely  that  the  submarine  will  follow  you  into 
the  smoke  screen  but  will  very  probably  make  for  the  weather 
corner  of  the  screen  and  to  windward  of  you. 

23 


Smoke  boxes  are  put  up  in  wooden  boxes  about  15"xl5" 
xlO".  Instructions  for  use  are  labeled  on  the  top  of  each  box 
under  a  wood  or  tin  panel  lightly  tacked  on,  which  should  be 
torn  off  and  instructions  read  before  using  the  box. 

The  box  is  marked— "THIS  SIDE  UP,"  and  the  tin  panel 
is  marked — "Pull  this  off  before  use  and  read  instructions 
underneath." 

The  smoke  funnel  consists  of  a  cowl  mounted  in  a  bucket, 
the  bucket  being  provided  with  a  drain  plug. 

The  charge  for  the  smoke  funnel  consists  of  32  pounds  of 
stick  phosphorus  contained  in  water  in  a  water  tight  drum. 
To  operate  the  device  the  drum  is  opened  by  means  of  a  can 
opener  or  such  other  means  as  may  be  provided  and  the  con- 
tents thereof  are  dumped  into  the  mouth  of  the  funnel.  The 
bucket  should  be  half  filled  with  water.  The  charge  may  be 
kept  in  the  funnel  during  the  run  of  the  vessel  through  the 
danger  zone,  provided  the  drain  plug  is  kept  closed  and  the 
phosphorus  is  kept  covered  with  water. 

When  it  is  desired  to  produce  the  smoke  cloud  the  drain 
plug  is  opened,  draining  the  water  off.  The  phosphorus  will 
smoulder  and  ignite  upon  exposure  to  the  atmosphere,  but  a 
more  rapid  and  satisfactory  ignition  is  obtained  by  throwing 
some  burning  waste  into  the  mouth  of  the  funnel. 

The  apparatus  gives  off  a  heavy  white  smoke  which  will 
settle  on  the  water  and  rise  to  a  sufficient  height  to  obscure  the 
ship.  A  charge  will  burn  for  25  to  35  minutes.  When  it  is 
desired  to  stop  the  smoke  close  the  drain  plug  and  pour  water 
down  the  funnel. 

The  funnel  should  be  trimmed  down  wind  in  order  to 
effect  a  good  draft. 

Safety  Precautions. 

The  men  opening  and  handling  the  drums  of  phosphorus 
should  wear  heavy  gloves  to  prevent  their  being  burned. 

Considerable  flame  is  emitted  from  the  apparatus  when 
in  full  blast  and  inflamable  materials  should  not  be  stowed 
near  it. 

If  the  charge  is  kept  for  any  length  of  time  in  the  funnel 
frequent  inspection  should  be  made  to  insure  that  the  apparatus 

24 


is  full  of  water,  that  there  is  no  leakage,  and  that  the  phos- 
phorus is  not  smouldering  due  to  leakage  of  water  and  exposure 
of  the  phosphorus  to  the  air. 

Depth  Charges 

Depth  charges  are  used  when  either  the  wake  or  the 
periscope  of  a  submarine  is  seen  and  the  ship  maneuvers  to 
pass  over  or  ahead  of  the  wake.  All  depth  charges  should  be 
dropped  from  the  stern  of  your  ship  and  timed  so  as  to  hit  the 
water  just  ahead  of  where  the  wake  of  the  submarine  will  pass. 

When  issued  the  charges  are  set  for  a  depth  of  40  feet. 
Do  not  change  this  setting. 

If  the  submarine  forces  you  to  stop  by  gun  fire  and  then 
comes  close  alongside  the  depth  charge  may  be  dropped  over- 
board, set  in  this  case  fo:  25  feet,  when  the  submarine  is  close 
abroad.  This  will  of  course  result  in  serious  injury  to  your 
own  vessel  as  well  as  the  submarine,  but  will  be  necessary  and 
advisible  under  the  circumstances.  This  proceedure  must  not 
be  carried  out,  however,  if  there  has  been  any  evidence  or  in- 
dication of  surrender. 

Safety  Precautions 

Never  release  the  charge  from  any  other  position  than  the 
stern  of  the  vessel. 

Always  have  5  knots  or  more  headway  on  before  releas- 
ing the  charge,  at  25  foot  setting  7  knots  or  more  is  preferable. 

Remember  that  the  charge,  through  insensitive  without 
detonator,  is  most  sensitive  with  detonator  and  must  not  be 
roughly  handled  when  detonator  is  in  place. 

Keep  charge  at  all  times  away  from  fire. 

Never  take  lock  pin  out  until  ready  to  fire. 

If  in  danger  of  rear-end  collision  and  detonator  is  in  place, 
throw  mine  overboard,  retaining  lock  pin  in  place. 

With  detonator  in  place,  detachment  of  buoy  and  pulling 
on  cable  will  fire  mine.  Do  not  overhaul  mine  in  this  or  any 
other  manner  when  detonator  is  in  place. 

Do  not  expose  mine  to  blast  of  guns,  especially  when  de- 
tonator is  in  place- 


25 


Chapter  X 

Service  Rifle,  Revolver  and  Machine  Guns 

Rifles,  revolvers  and  machine  guns  are  furnished  armed 
guard  crews  for  possible  use  against  submarines  close  alongside 
the  ship  and  for  protection  and  possible  destruction  of  sub- 
marines when  crews  are  in  open  boats.  A  well  directed  fire 
against  a  submarine  close  alongside,  on  the  surface  with  her  crew 
on  deck  would  undoubtedly  seriously  injure  her  and  might  cause 
her  to  sink.  This  fire  would,  however,  draw  the  fire  of  the  sub- 
marine and  should  not  be  resorted  to  unless  there  is  a  chance  of 
keeping  the  submarine  crew  from  manning  their  guns. 

Service  Rifles 

Before  and  after  all  drills  and  exercises,  open  the  chambers 
and  inspect  the  pieces  to  see  that  none  are  loaded. 

Never  point  a  rifle,  loaded  or  unloaded,  at  any  living  ob- 
ject, unless  it  is  desired  to  kill  it. 

Never  point  a  loaded  rifle  in  any  direction  where  it  could 
do  any  damage  if  it  went  off,  remembering  the  long  range  of 
the  service  rifle. 

Never  load  a  rifle  at  practice  until  ready  to  commence  firing. 

Never  carry  a  rifle  with  a  cartridge  in  the  chamber,  except 
in  exceptional  cases,  which  must  be  especially  ordered  by  the 
officer  in  charge. 

Never  allow  water  to  get  on  the  rifle.  Keep  all  parts  well 
oiled. 

Be  careful  of  the  sights.  A  light  blow  may  throw  them 
out  of  adjustment. 

Service  Revolvers 

Never  point  a  revolver,  loaded  or  unloaded,  at  any  living 
object  unless  it  is  desired  to  kill  it. 

Never  point  a  revolver  in  any  direction  where  any  damage 
would  result  if  it  went  off. 

26 


Never  touch  the  hammer  or  trigger  when  the  revolver  is 
not  pointing  up  or  at  the  object  aimed  at. 

Never  carry  a  revolver  in  the  hand  or  holster  unless  there 
is  an  empty  chamber  under  the  hammer. 

Remember  that  nearly  all  accidents  occur  with  a  revolver 
that  was  "not  loaded." 

Never  allow  water  to  get  on  the  revolver.  Keep  all  parts 
well  oiled. 

Machine  Guns 

These  guns  are  very  delicate  instruments  and  easily  get 
out  of  adjustment.  You  will  have  special  instruction  before 
leaving  on  armed  guard  duty  and  the  points  learned  then  must 
be  remembered  and  followed  closely. 

In  firing  watch  the  loading  closely  as  the  shells  will  jam  if 
they  do  not  enter  at  just  the  right  place.  When  firing  at  an 
object  close  aboard  do  not  bother  to  look  over  the  sights.  Keep 
your  head  well  up  and  note  the  splashes,  when  by  swinging  the 
gun  slowly,  you  can  bring  the  splashes  on  the  target. 

During  the  trip  across  keep  the  gun  mounted  and  on  deck 
where  it  is  readily  accesable.  It  may  come  in  very  handy  if  a 
submarine  should  come  up  close  alongside.  Take  it  in  the 
boat  with  you  if  you  are  forced  to  abandon  ship,  but  throw  it 
overboard  in  case  you  are  captured  and  taken  aboard  an  enemy 
vessel. 

The  safety  precautions  for  the  rifle  and  revolver  also  apply 
to  machine  guns. 


27 


Gun  Crew  Muster  List 


Name 

Rate 

Position 

Gun  Captain 

Pointer 

Trainer 

Sightsetter 

Plugman 

Trayman 

1st  Shellman 

1st  Powderman 

Rammerman 

2nd  Shellman 

2nd  Powderman 

3rd  Shellman 

3rd  Powderman 

